Imitation fire



Sept. 27, 1938.

A. E. NEWTON IMITATIQN FIRE Filed Jan. 11, 1937 4 3 Sheets-Sheet l I WL I B v ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 27, 1938. A. NEWTON IMITAHON FIRE Filed Jan. 11, 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

A. E. NEWTON IMITATION FIRE Sept. 27, 1938.

Filed Jan. 11, 1937 5 SheetsSheec 3 I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 27, 1938 Q UNITED STATES I1VIITATION FIRE Albert Edward Newton, assignor to Premier E Birmingham, England Application January 11,

Birmingham, England, lectric Heaters, Limited,

1937, Serial No. 120,029

In Great Britain January 2, 1936 16'C'laims.

This invention relates to vane motors, spinners and the like for imitation fires and other purposes and hereinafter referred to and included in the term motor, and the invention is concerned with such motors which are of the kind comprising a rotor or other rotatable body provided with abutment surfaces, for example, vanes or equivalent surfaces upon which thermally produced air or other gas currents impinge to rotate the body. Such motors commonly comprise or form part of the apparatus for producing moving flame and/or smoke images of imitation fires which give the flicker or imitation fire effects.

In motors of the above kind the body is usually mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and is disposed immediately above an electric lamp bulb and is provided with vanes extending more or less radially outwardly from the vertical axis of rotation of the body.

With such an arrangement, owing to the heat transmitted from the lamp to the surrounding air, air currents are produced which rise upwardly in a substantially vertical direction and impinge on the van-es, and in order to produce'a horizontal or tangential component to the impinging force of the air currents on the vanes and thus to rotate the body, the vanes are disposed at an inclination to the axis of rotation of the body, i. e., are transverse to the direction of rotation of the body. With such an arrangement, the maximum velocity is imparted to the body when the vanes are inclined at an angle of approximately 45 to the axis of rotation of the body.

It will be appreciated, however, that owing to .the fact that the air currents are rising vertically along the axis of rotation of the body, the maximum value of this tangential component is always appreciably less than the force produced by the air currents in a vertical direction, and one of 40 the objects of the present invention is to provide a construction in which the value of the component force is increased so that a higher maximum speed can be imparted to the body for a given initial current flow.

It is furtherfound thatwith motors of the above kind the normal working speed of the motor varies in accordance. with the position in which it is used, for example where the motor is exposed to draughts or other extraneous air currents, its 50 normal speed of rotation may differ considerably from its corresponding speed under conditions where the air surrounding the motor is absolutely still, such variation in working speed being frequently objectionable, particularly when the motor is employed in an imitation fire.

Again, it issometimes desired to vary the rate of rotation of the motor body, for instance to permit of the flame or smoke effect of an imitation fire being Varied.

. A further object of this invention is to provide a 1 construction in which the normal working speed may be maintained at a given value for all normal variations in surrounding conditions due to difierent positions in. which the vane motor may be employed as well as to provide a construction in which the rate of rotation of the motor body can be varied.

Qther objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, in the drawings accompanying which descriptionz.

Figure 1 is a cross sectional side elevation of an imitation solid fuel fire provided with means for varying the rate of rotation of the motor body.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rotation varying means shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the fire'shown in Figure 1, the back plate of the fire being removed.

Figure 4 is a detail view corresponding to Figure 3 showing the vane motor and rotation varying means upon anienlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 showing a modified construction.

Figure 6 isa cross sectional View of the lower part of the fire shown in Figure 1 and provided with the modified construction shown in Figure 5.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the imitation solid fuel fire is constructed as described in U. S. A. Patent No. 1,992,540, the fire being provided as isdescribed in the said patent with the usual flicker device including a vane motor indicated generally at Ill which is constructed as described in the said patent, such vane motor comprising a rotor or hollow body I l of inverted cup-like shape, the body being mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis upon a pivot pin I2 which is supported immediately above an electric lamp bulb l3.

The lamp bulb I3 is adapted thermally to produce upwardly moving air currents and extends into the interior of the hollow body ll so that the air currents rise up the interior of the body andto permit of the movement of the air currents the body is open at its base as indicated at 14, and in order-that the air currents shall cause thebody to rotate, the body-is provided at its upper part with vanes I5 conveniently formed by partially. severing the material of the upper part of the body and bending'it'in an upward direction so that the vanes extend more or less radially outwardly from the vertical axis of rotation of the body and are disposed at an inclination to the vertical, i. e., are transverse to the direction of rotation of the body, so that when the upwardly rising air currents passing through the openings 16 formed by the displaced material impinge on the inclined vanes, a horizontal or tangential component to the impinging force of the currents is produced tending to rotate the body.

With the construction illustrated the body will rotate in a clockwise direction when viewed from above.

With the present construction; the usual back plate I! of the fire is provided medially of its lower edge with an air supply opening I8, conveniently of rectangular shape, whichopening is disposed to the rear of the electric lamp bulb l3.

The apparatus or means for varying the rate of rotation of the motor body is disposed immediately in front of the air supply opening [8, and this apparatus conveniently comprises 2. rectangular sheet metal air supply plate l9, shown more clearly in Figure 2, the lower edge of which plate is disposed adjacent the lower edge of the opening 18 so that the plate: extends upwardly and forwardly from the lower edge of the opening to a level above the upper edge thereof to provide, in co-operation with that part of the back plate which is immediately above the opening l8, a passage or channel 20 for supplying and directing the air currents to the opening M in the base of the hollow body H.

To still further ensure that the air entering the supply opening [8 is supplied to the interior of the hollow body, the air supply plate I9 is provided at opposite sides with flanges 2! of triangular configuration which extend rearwardly flush with the back plate I! of the fire, and the lower portion of each of these flanges is provided adjacent each side of the air supply opening I8 and 'for a length equal to the depth thereof, with outwardly extending edge flanges 22 which abut the inner surface of the back plate.

The air supply plate I!) is secured in position by providing its lower edge with an integral forwardly extending supporting flange 23 which is secured to the fire base 24 by means of the securing screws 25 of the lamp holder 26 carrying the electric lamp bulb l3.

' Secured detachably to the upper portion of the triangular flanges 2| and extending therebetween is a bracket 21 of substantially U or channel shape, the base of which bracket is adjacent the back plate immediately above the air supply opening l8, and mounted pivotally between this bracket and the air supply plate 19 so that it is disposed within the passage or channel 20 is a deflector member constructed in the form of a plate or vane 28 of substantially triangular form, the longer sides of which extend more "or less downwardly so that the shorter side of the plate is uppermost, and adjacent opposite ends of the shorter side the plate is provided with integral supporting lugs 29 which extend through corresponding openings in the plate I9 and bracket 21 so that the plate is supported pivotally from these two members the bracket 21. being provided with a friction spring 30 forcontrollin'g the pivotal movement of the deflector plate 28.

For preventing the lug ofithe plate 28 which is adjacent the back plate coming into contact with the back plate, the bracket 21 is maintained spaced slightly from the back plate by means of projections 30a formed integrally with the bracket. 1

Conveniently, the plate is disposed centrally of the passage or channel 20. I

Means are provided for controlling the position of the deflector plate, and such means conveniently comprise a control arm or rod 3| connected pivotally to a transversely extending lug 32 formed integrally with the deflector plate, the rod extending from the plate in a left-hand direction when the fire is viewed from the rear thereof, through an opening 33 in the side of the fire, the projecting end of the rod being provided with the usual thumb piece 34.

With such an arrangement, on pushing the rod to move it inwardly of the fire the deflector plate is pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction when viewed from the rear of the fire as will be apparent from Figure 4, a reverse movement being imparted to the plate when the rod is pulled outwardly of the fire.

With the construction illustrated, when the control rod 31 is in its outermost position, the deflector plate, as will be apparent from Figure 4, extends in a direction more or'less parallel to the plane of the vanes l5, so that the air flowing through the passage or channel 20 as a result of the heating effect produced by the electric lamp bulb l3 will be caused to flow in a direction more or less parallel to the plane of the vanes [5 as indicated by the arrow '35 shown in Figure 4, and the component force produced by the air impinging on the vanes tending to rotate the body II in its normal clockwise direction will be of practically zero value so that the hollow body will rotate in a clockwise direction at a very slow speed.

On moving the control rod inwardly of the fire to pivot the deflector plate in an anti-clockwise direction until it is substantially vertical, the direction of flow of the air currents through the passage 20 will be vertical, so that the currents will flow in a substantially vertical direction up the interior of the hollow body which will in consequence rotate at its normal speed just as if the deflector plate were entirely absent.

On further movement of the control rod in an inward direction to pivot the deflector plate beyond this normal position, the direction of flow of the air currents through the passage 20 will no longer be vertical, and the angle at which the air currents impinge on the vanes will be increased beyond the normal angle, the direction of the air currents possessing in fact a horizontal component which is in the direction of rotation of the hollow body as indicated by the arrow 36 shown in Figure 4, with the result that an increased component is produced on the vanes tending to rotate the body in a clockwise direction and the rate of rotation of the body is increased very considerably above its normal rate of rotation.

With the above described construction, the rate of movement 'of the imitation flame and/ or smoke effect produced on the screen 3! of the fire may, by suitable adjustment of the control rod 3|, be varied to suit the users taste, while the position of the deflector plate may be varied so that the same speed of rotation of the body, and hence the same rate of movement of the flame and/or smoke efiect, is produced under widely varying conditions of temperature and/or humidity of the surrounding air, and/or direction of external draughts or other extraneous air currents.

For locating the position of the control rod 3|, the underside of the rod where it extends through the opening 33 in the side of the fire may be provided with a number of spacedteeth or serrations 38 adapted to engage-thelower edge oftheopening33. l

Instead of controlling .the rate. of rotation of the hollow body by means of. a movable deflector plate 28 as in the manner described,'-the deflector plate 28 and passage or channel 20 may, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, be replaced by a pair of tubes 44, extending upwardly from the air supply opening l8 and spaced laterally.;towards opposite sides of the vertical axisof rotation of the hollow body, the tubesconvergingtowards each other in an upward direction, and being inclined with respect to said axis to an extent similar to the two extreme inclinations of the deflector plate 28, and each of these tubes is' provided with a valve or shutter 46 which is adapted to close the communication between the tubes and the air supply opening l8, the two valvesor shutters 46 being joined by a connecting piece 47 mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and one valve or shutter being connected to control means similar to that shown in dotted outline in Figure 3, so that the valves or shutters can be pivoted to close either one or the other of the tubes 44, 45, orto open both of these tubes partially-so that the air is supplied to the vanes from one or the other of the tubes at varying velocities in a direction corresponding to the directions indicated at either 35 or 36 in Figure 4, or is supplied in a vertical direction to rotate the hollow body at slow, fast or normal speed respectively. If desired, the position of the valves or shutters may be controlled by the control rod 3| shown in Figure 3. I

It should be understood that with both of the above constructions, any other form of control means operated from any other position on the fire from that illustrated may be employed for controlling the position of the deflector plate, valve or shutter.

If desired, the external control for the deflector plate, valve or shutter may be omitted, and the plate, valve or shutter may be set by the supplier to suit normal conditions prevailing in the particular situation where the fire is used; no subsequent adjustment to the plate, valve or shutter being made. In such a case, where the deflector is employed, the plate need no longer be mounted pivotally, and may comprise merely a length of deformable metal disposed in the channel or passage 20 which may be bent into the required position by the supplier.

With all of the above constructions, in order to produce the maximum variation possible in the speed of rotation of the body, it is important that the whole of the air supplied tothe body, or substantially the whole of such air, should be controlled by the deflector plate or other device, and it is therefore important that the lower part of the fire, particularly adjacent the flicker device shall be free from openings even of small size, with the exception of course of the air supply opening l8 in the back plate.

It should further be understood that the application of the invention should not be restricted to imitation fires of the form illustrated, and it should furthermore be understood that in addition to applying the invention to imitation fires, it may be applied to motors for operating rotary display apparatus or advertising apparatus:

The term air used in the specification is employed in a descriptive and not a=:;limiting sense, since it is obviousthat as applied for in;- stance to advertising display apparatus, the medium actuating the motor maybe any suitable gas other. than air.

, WhatI claim then is:

.; .1.-.:A motor. comprising a hollow body mounted for: rotation. about a substantially vertical axis, saidbody having an: opening at its base adapted to admit air currents to the interior of said body and having further openings in its upper part, thebody having abutment surfaces adjacent said further openings,: a heat source disposed beneath saidabutmentsurfaces adapted thermally to produce, upwardly rising air currents which impinge on the" abutment surfaces. to rotatethe body, a pairv of tubes adaptedtosupply the air currents through the opening in the base of said body to the interior thereof, said tubes being disposed atan inclinationto one another, and a valve associated with each-of said tubes adapted to vary .thelrate of flow'therethrough of the said air currents.

2. In an imitation fire, means for varying the rate of movement of the flame and smoke images, comprising a motor including a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said bodyhaving an opening at its base adapted to admit .air currents to the interior of'said body and having further openings in its upper part, thebody havingabutment surfaces adjacent said further openings, a heat source I disposed beneath said abutment surfaces adapted thermally to produce upwardly rising air currents which impinge on the abutment surfaces to rotate the body, a pair of tubes adapted to supply the air currents through the opening in the base of said body to the interior thereof, said tubes being disposed at an inclination to one another, a valve associated with each of said tubes adapted to vary the rate of flow there through of the said currents, and means adapted to control the position of said valves.

. 3. In an imitation fire, means for varying the rate of movement of the flame and smoke images, comprising a motor including a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and disposed at the rear of the flre, said body having an opening in its base communicating with the interior thereof, said flre having at its rear an air current supply opening disposed adjacent said body base, an air current supply plate in front of said supply opening extending forwardly and upwardly thereof beneath the opening in said body base, said supply plate having rearwardly projecting flanges at opposite sides thereof, an electric lamp bulb within the interior of said hollow body, vanes on the upper part of said body extending outwardly from its axis of rotation, said vanes being disposed at an inclination to the vertical, said body having open-' ings adjacent said vanes, a bracket carried on said supply plate, flanges. disposed rearwardly of said supply plate-,-a deflectc'r plate disposedtransversely-of the direction of rotation of :the adja-- cent part of said hollow body, said deflector plate extending between said supply plate and bracket and being mounted .pivotally from these elements for movement about an axis which is transverse to the axis of rotation of said body, and means adapted to control the position of said pivoted plate.

4. In an imitation fire, means for varyingthe rate of movement of the flame and smoke images, comprising a motor including a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and disposed at the rear of the fire, saidbody having an opening in its base communieating with the interior thereof, said fire having at its rear an air current supply opening disposed adjacent said body base, anair current supply plate in front of.said supply. opening extending forwardly and upwardly thereof beneath the opening in said body base, said supply plate having rearwardly projecting flanges at opposite sides thereof, an electric lamp bulb within the interior of said hollow body, vanes on the upper part of said body extending outwardly from its axis of rotation, said vanes .being disposed at an inclination to the vertical, said body having openings adjacent said vanes, a bracket carried on said supply plate, flanges disposed rearwardly of said supply plate, a deflector plate disposed transversely of the direction of rotation of the adjacent part of said. hollow body, said deflector plate extending between said supply plate and bracket and being mounted pivotally from these elements for movement about an axis which is transverse to the "axis of rotation of said body, a control arm connected pivotally to said deflector plate, and means for controlling the position of said arm.

5. A thermally actuated motor of the kind specified including a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said body having an opening in its base communicating with the interior thereof, a plate having an air current supply opening disposed adjacent said body base, an air current supply plate in front of said supply opening extending forwardly and upwardly thereof beneath the opening in said body base, said supply plate having rearwardly projecting flanges atopposite sides thereof, an electric lamp bulb within the interior of said hollow body, vanes on the upper part of said body extending outwardly from its axis of rotation, said vanes being disposed at an inclination to the vertical, said body having openings adjacent said vanes, a bracket carried-on said supply plate, flanges disposed rearwardly of said supply plate, a deflector plate disposed transversely of the direction of rotation of the adjacent part of said hollow body, said deflector plate extending between said supply plate and bracket and being mounted pivotally from these elements for movement about an axis which is transverse to the axis of rotation of said body, and means adapted to control the position of said pivoted plate.

6. A thermally actuated motor comprising a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said body having an opening at its base adapted to admit air currents to the interior of said body, and having further openings in its upper part, the body having abutment surfaces adjacent said further openings, a heat source disposed beneath said abutment surfaces adapted thermally to produce upwardly rising air currents which impinge on the abutment surfaces to rotate the body, thelmotor having in association therewith a'passage adapted to direct the air currents through the opening in the base of said body to the interior thereof, and means associated with said passage for guiding the air currents in a direction which is inclin'ed to the axis of rotation of the body, said means enabling variation of the inclination of the direction of flow of the air currents into said body.

7. A thermally actuated motor comprising a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said body having an opening at its base adapted to admit air currents to the interior of said body and having further openings .in its upper part, thebody having abutment "surfaces adjacent said further openings, a heat source disposed beneath said abutinentsurfaces adapted thermally to produce upward-1y rising air currents which impinge on the abutment surfaces to rotate the body, the motor having in association therewith a passage adapted to direct the air currents through the opening in the base of said body to the interior thereof, and a deflector plate mounted within said passage to guide the air currents in a direction which is inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the body and said deflector plate being pivotally mounted to enable variation of the angle of the direction of flow of the air currents into said body.

8. In an imitation fire, means for varying the rate of movement of the flame and smoke images comprising a thermally actuated motor including a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said body having an opening at its base adapted to admit air currents to the interior of said body and having further openings in its upper part, the body having abutmen-t surfaces adjacent said further openings, a heat source disposed beneathsaid abutment surfaces ada-pted thermally to produce upwardly rising air currents which impinge on the abutment surfaces to rotate the body, the motor having in association therewith a passage adapted to direct the air currents through the opening in the base of said body to the interior thereof, and means associated with said passage adapted to vary the inclination of the direction of flow of the air currents into said body in relation to the rotational axis of the body.

9. In an imitation fire, means for varying the rate-of movement of the flame and smoke images, comprising a thermally actuated motor including a hollow body mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said body having an opening at its base adapted to admit air currents to the interior of said body and having further openings in its upper part, the body having abutment surfaces adjacent said further openings, a heat source'disposed beneath said abutment surfaces adapted thermally to produce upwardly rising air currents which impinge on the abutment surfaces to rotate the body, the motor having in association therewith a passage adapted to direct the air currents through the opening in the base of said body to the interior thereof, a deflector plate mounted pivotally within said passage adapted to vary the inclination of the direction of flow of the air currents into said body in relation to the rotational axis of the body, and means adapted to control the position of said pivoted plate. I

10. A thermally actuated motor of the kind specified, comprising a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to said body the force exerted by said air currents-and impart rotation to said body, and means adapted to guide the air currents in a direction which is inclined to the axis of rotation of the body so as to apply to the abutment surfaces a component force in the direction of rotation of the body.

11. An imitation fire having a light receiving surface, a light source, means for transmitting light images from said light source to said light receiving surface, and means for imparting movement to said images comprising a thermally actuated motor including-a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to said body the force exerted by said air currents and impart rotation to said body, and means adapted to guide the air currents in a direction which is inclined to the axis of rotation of the body so as to apply to the abutment surfaces a component force in the direction of rotation of the body.

12. A thermally actuated motor of the kind specified, comprising a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to said body the force exerted by said air currents and impart rotation to said body, and means adapted to vary the angle between the air currents impinging on said abutment surfaces and the direction of movement of said abutment surfaces upon which the air currents impinge.

13. An imitation fire having a light receiving surface, a light source, means for transmitting light images from said light source to said light receiving surface, and means for imparting movement to said images comprising a thermally actuated motor including a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to said body the force exerted by said air currents and impart rotation to said body, and. means adapted to vary the angle between the air currents ime pinging on said abutment surfaces and the direction of movement of said abutment surfaces upon which the air currents impinge.

14. A thermally actuated motor of the kind specified, comprising a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to said body the force exerted by said air currents and impart rotation to said body, movable guide means adapted to direct at least substantially the whole of the air currents on to said abutment surfaces in a direction both with and against the direction of rotation of said body, and means for moving said guide means to direct said air currents in one of the said two directions.

15. An imitation fire having a light receiving surface, a light source, means for transmitting light images from said light source to said light receiving surface, and means for imparting movement to said images comprising a thermally actuated motor including a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment 7 surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to said body the force exerted by said air currents and impart rotation to said body, movable guide means adapted to direct at least substantially the whole of the air currents on to said abutment surfaces in a direction both with and against the direction of rotation of said body, and means for moving said guide means to direct said air currents in one of the said two directions.

16. A thermally actuated motor of the kind specified, comprising a body mounted for rotation, said body being provided with abutment surfaces, means adapted thermally to produce air currents which impinge on said abutment surfaces, the latter being adapted to apply to 

